October, 2026
Published
224
Pages
112 color and 45 b&w illus. Index.
Features
About Cuellar's Deep in the Heart of Tex-Mex
Deep in the Heart of Tex-Mex: The Story Behind El Chico and the Cuellar Family is a visual feast of photographs, memorabilia, and vignettes capturing Texas history, Latino culture, and the innovative founders of the popular El Chico restaurant chain. Catherine Cuellar captures key moments in her pioneering Tex-Mex ancestors’ journey from nineteenth-century Mexican immigrants to twentieth-century leaders in the Texas culinary business and civic community.
Matriarch Adelaida Cuellar made more money selling tamales and chili during a Kaufman County Fair than her husband Macario earned in a year as a rancher. Her recipes for success inspired their twelve children to create their own opportunities in the restaurant business. Five sons, known as Mama’s Boys, created delicious Mexican dishes that blended flavors familiar to the American palate with new ingredients and spices. They catered to US presidents at the White House and monarchs overseas. Ultimately, Cuellar family-founded restaurants introduced Tex-Mex food to global diners and taught entrepreneurship to employees, who then launched dozens more flourishing businesses.
About the Author
CATHERINE CUELLAR is a third-generation Dallas native, storyteller, and award-winning journalist. She graduated with a BA in English from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Her work has appeared in The Dallas Morning News and D Magazine; on NPR stations including KERA, KCRW, and WNYC; and in the 2013 short story anthology Dallas Noir from Akashic Books.
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Deep in the Heart of Tex-Mex: The Story Behind El Chico and the Cuellar Family
224 pp. 112 color and 45 b&w illus. Index.
